EXERCITII:

 SELF – EVALUATION

 Fill in the blanks with the proper terms from the list:
clover seed bed
cover crops stubble
disk tractor
fitting weeds

1) On a modern farm, implements are drawn by a tractor.

2) An implement used to break up sod is a disk.
3) The process of breaking up sod is called fitting the soil.
4) Sod may be produced by a growth of grass or clover.
5) The roots and the soil that clings to them are called the mat.
6) The soil which is prepared for planting is called the seed bed.
7) In addition to preparing the soil for planting, tillage turns under the stubble which was left
standing when an earlier crop was cut.
8) It also turns under cover crops which have been planted to reduce erosion and leaching.
9) And it slows up the growth of undesired plants, or weeds.

 SELF – EVALUATION
 Match the following phrases and terms with the definitions on the right:
1.) ecology - the study of the relationship of living things (plants, animals and humans) with each
other and with their environment
2.) drought - a prolonged period of abnormal dryness, with little or no rainfall
3.) conservation - protecting, maintaining or improving natural resources to keep them safe from
destruction or degradation and conserve them for future generations
4.) environment - the surroundings and external condition that affect the growth and development
of living things
5.) desalinization - removal of salts from saline water to obtain fresh water suitable for animal and
human consumption
6.) desertification - the change from one fertile land into desert as result of factors including climatic
variations and human activities
7.) deforestation - cutting down trees, which provide oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide

 SELF – EVALUATION

 What are the consequences of?

1.) air pollution? - energy shortage, destruction of ozone layer; changes in the local climate; global
warming;
2.) water pollution? - animals and plants in danger
3.) soil pollution? - animals and plants in danger; spreading deserts;
4.) acid rain? - air pollution, water pollution, animals and plants in danger; deforestation
5.) radioactive pollution? - acid rain; air pollution; water pollution; animals and plants in danger;
deforestation
6.) nuclear waste dumping? - nuclear accidents; destruction of ozone layer; acid rain; air pollution;
water pollution; animals and plants in danger; deforestation

 Choose the most suitable heading from the list (a-h) for each part (0-7).

a. Looking after the land

Any farmer ‘s field is a habitat, the natural home for plants and animals which depend on each other
in many ways. It is the place where mice, for example, find food for shelter. When the farmer plows
the land, he destroys the wild plants that grow in the field. Animals such as mice, that feed on these
plants have to go elsewhere to find food. Other animals, like owls, that feed on the mice, also have to
move away. So, what the farmer does affects not just one kind of plant or animal, but all the
organisms living in the area.

b. Global warming
The world is getting warmer. If you enjoy warm weather you may think that this is good news but it’s
not. Experts say that the earth ‘s atmosphere is warming up just as if it were trapped inside a
greenhouse. This warming process is often called the greenhouse effect. On the one hand, the ozone
layer is becoming thinner and thinner, allowing harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun to pass through
the atmosphere. On the other hand, as we all know, most of the heat received from the sun is sent
back. But, if there is too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it will trap too much heat, and the
earth ‘s atmosphere will become too hot.
c. Breaking the food chain
The plants and animals that provide food for each other are members of a food chain. If this chain is
broken, every animal in it will suffer. What do you think happens when the farmer poisons the mice?
A mouse that is weakened by the poison is easy prey for an owl. The owl that eats a poisoned mouse
eventually dies from the poison. The farmer ‘s cat eats another poisoned mouse and dies. The farmer
is pleased to be rid of the mice. But he has killed two animals which would have helped him. Owls
and cats would have helped the farmer to keep down farm pests.

d. The environment and the teaching of English

Over the past few years, the recognition of the urgency of environmental problems has caused
quantum leap in the attention paid to “green” issues. With increasing frequency, the environment is
turning up as the subject of newspaper and magazine articles, radio and television news, reports,
documentaries and feature films. This concern is reflected in schools around the world, where
teachers of all subjects and at all grade levels are using environmental themes as a means of linking
the classroom to the world.

e. The rain that kills

Poisonous gases and other chemicals pour into the atmosphere every day. These are waste products
from our power stations, factories, and cars. Two of these gases, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide,
collect in the atmosphere. They then mix with the moisture in the air to become sulfuric acid and
nitric acid. These acids are absorbed by rain clouds and fall to the ground again as acid rain. Acid rain
clouds can drift hundreds of miles before falling as rain. This rain can cause serious damage. It kills
trees and destroys many wildlife habitats.

f. Natural habitat
The land that we need for growing food is very important. We can ‘t affords to spoil it. There are
many ways in which farmers could make better use of the land and grow good crops without the help
of factory-made chemicals. If it is farmed with care, the land will go on giving us enough food to eat
for thousands of years to come. When land is over-farmed or over-grazed, the topsoil turns to dust,
which blows away in the wind. The layer of soil left behind is baked hard by the sun. In time, it cracks.
Any rain that falls cannot soak in and flows away. Thus, the dry land turns to desert.

g. The waste makers

Can you imagine how much garbage we create all over the world each day? In factories, offices,
hotels, and restaurants, as well as in our homes, we produce tons of garbage. The poorer countries of
the world produce the smallest amounts of garbage. In countries where there are many industries,
more land is needed for garbage sites. Some of our garbage can be used again. But where can we put
the rest? No one wants a garbage dump next door.

h. Nuclear dump
Nuclear energy is useful. We can make electricity from radioactive material in nuclear power stations.
In hospitals, radioactivity can help to cure some diseases. In some industries, people use radioactive
processes to measure and test materials. Radioactive material produces waste, which may be in the
form of gases, liquids or solids. This waste can ‘t simply be thrown away like any other waste. It is
dangerous because it continues to emit radiation. Some of it, called high-level waste, will be
radioactive for thousands of years. Low-level waste is less radioactive, but scientists do not agree on
how dangerous it is